is not the Almighty constantly, in his providence, taking these thin~s from mou? lfa takes from the rich man llis property, the strong m:i.n his health; tne ambitious m:1.n bis power, the social man his dearest friends. And such deprivations are the constnut "'°urces of human sorrow and anguish. All temporal good must go--chariote, horses, cities, etc. The_other class of things he takes away are: 2. 'l'he morally vile. Here- are "witchcrafts, soothsayers, i:i;raven images," etc. ,vbatever man indulges in that is "Tong-false worship, all the sorceries of intellectual or physical pleasure-must go, the sooner the better. It is well when all that is morally wrong is taken from us in this world. II. THEY ARE "\"ERY USEFUL. It is often well to be stripped of temporary gooJ; it malways necessary to be stripped of the morally wrong. All is done in mercy for the soul. God takes away temporal property from a man in order that he may get ~riritual wealth; and often does a man's secular fall lead to his spiritual life. Ho takes away physical health from a man in order that he may get spiritual; and often do the diseases of the body kad to the cure of the soul. Did we understand things thoroughly, see them as we shall when we have done with this mundane system, we ,hould often a.cknowledge more mercy in God's depriving than in his bestowing providences. Ever shonld we remember that the great end of all .his dealings with us is our spiritual advancement in intelligence, holiness, power, and. blessedness. "Lo• .nil these things worketh God with man, tbo.t he may bring him back from the pit in order to enlighten him with the light of the living"· (Job xxxiii. 30). CoNCLUSION. Though I know not the future-and no one does-I know that severe- depriving providences are ahead, but that mercy underlies the whole. "And so beside the silent sea I wait the muffied oar; No harm from him can oome to Dl9 On ocean or on shore. "I know not where his islands lift; Their fronded paltas in air; I only know I cannot dri~ Beyond his love and care. • And thou, 0 Lord, by whom are seen Thy creatured as they be, Forgive me if too close I lean My human heart on thee." . . .. (J. G. Whittier.) D.T:
EXPOSITION.
advocate before-the great inanimate tribnnnl. CHAPTER VI. llefore the mOUlltains ;' i.e. in the presence· of the everlasting hills, which have as it Ver. 1--eh. vii. 20.-Pa.rt IIL In this were witnessed God's gracious de1Llings witl1 edchesa, which is later tha.n the precediDg his people from old time and Israel's long parui, the prophet set.a forth the way of ingratitude (comp. eh. i. 2). 111Blvation : PuNlsJomNT IS THE CossEQUENCE Ver. 2.-Rear ye, 0 mountains. Insensate OF SIN; REPl!:NTANCE IS THE ONLY GBOUND nature is called upon. as a witness. .(For FOil HOPE OP PABTICD'ATD!G Di TIIB CoVE- similar appeals, comp. :Oeut. iv. 2Ei; x.uii. 1 ; Isa. i. 2; Jer. xxii. 29.) The Lord's oon- !1ANT Jl!Imoiu. troveny. So God calld his pleading with Vers. 1-5.-§ 1. God', contro'DerBy with his people to show thelll their sin o.nd 1,u people for their ingratitude. thankless unbelief; as he says in Isa. i. 18, "Come, and let us reason together" (comp. Ver. 1.-Kear 7e now. The whole nation Hos. iv. I; xii. 2). Ye strong (enduring) is addi·essed and bidden to give heed to foundations of the earth. The mountains God's pleading. Ariae, contend thou. These are called everlasting (Gen. xlix. 26; Deut. are God's words to Micah, bidding him put xxxiii. 15), o.s being firm, unchangeable, o.url hllllllelf in his people's place, and plead as as compared with mau's life allf.l doings, UJJ, VI, :1.-16.] TIIE BOOK OF MICAH. 81